11th Player Dilemma for India

Eyes on team combination for fourth Test; Haryana pacer Kamboj may debut for visitors

- Express in England Firoz Mirza

It was drizzling even on Tuesday, a day ahead of the fourth Test. The conditions were not ideal for outdoor practice. The wicket was covered most of the time. Inside the India dressing room, more than the rain outside, getting the right combination would have been their priority.

India skipper Shubman Gill on Tuesday echoed the same sentiment when he said nine or 10 players select themselves automatically for any match depending on their injury status, with the one remaining making it to the playing XI after taking into consideration the conditions. It sounded easy, but at times fitting in that eleventh player could be very difficult.

On an overcast Tuesday afternoon here at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground, the India captain along with head coach Gautam Gambhir and assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak might be trying to solve that eleventh player puzzle when they gathered near the playing surface, which was uncovered at around 2:15 pm to get it match-ready.

With Gill making it clear that pacer Akash Deep has been ruled out of the match due to a groin injury, the visitors now have to find two replacements for the fourth Test as all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has already been sidelined and out of the series due to a knee injury.